Redaction log: what to record, and what to leave out

A redaction log is a record of what you removed from a document, where, and why. It’s what you reach for when a client, a court, a requester or a regulator asks about a redaction months later. One rule shapes the whole log: it must not hold the content you removed. A log that repeats the redacted names is a second copy of exactly what you set out to protect.

What a redaction log is for

The redacted copy answers its reader. The log answers everyone who comes later.

• Accountability. Under the GDPR, the controller is responsible for complying with the data protection principles and must be able to demonstrate it (Art. 5(2)). A log shows what you removed and on what ground.
• Consistency. The UK National Archives’ redaction toolkit notes that recorded decisions show what was decided before, when the same information is requested again.
• Challenges. If a recipient disputes a cover, the log gives you the reason you gave at the time.

What goes in it, and what must not

The toolkit lists what a record of redaction decisions should hold, as far as it’s relevant:

• The document: a reference or file number that identifies it.
• The place: which part was withheld. The record “need not describe the content”, the toolkit says; “paragraph 2 of page 4” is enough.
• The reason: and, for a freedom-of-information request, every exemption that applies.
• Comments from reviewers or anyone consulted.

What must not go in: the removed text itself. Keep the unredacted original where your process says it belongs. The log points to it; it doesn’t copy it.

What the Dress Docs log records: covers, reasons, pages, date

In Dress Docs, the redaction log (Pro) records each cover, its reason, its page and the date. It contains no document content.

The log stays with you, like the document. You save it to your own files, and it never reaches us (compliance pack). How to word the reasons it lists: how to justify redactions.

Where to keep it: your case file

File the log with the matter, next to the redacted copy you sent. Together they show what went out and why each part was held back. Add the reference to the original, so anyone reviewing the file can find it.

The log is the last step of a redaction done properly: the redaction checklist has all seven. For a contract, the whole pass, from filling in to filing the log, is in how to redact a contract before you share it.

The redaction log is in the Pro, Team and Organization plans. See pricing, or start Pro.